The Shadow of Liger Zero
by Cougon
Summary: Japanese names, Brad=Ballad, Leena=Rinon, Jaimy=Jiemi. Also this story contains alternate pairings. Their is shounen-ai don't like don't read. BitxBallad, JiemixBallad. An underestimated enemy leads the Blitz team defeated, the Zero destroyed and Balla
1. Hiding Shadows

The Shadow of Liger Zero  
  
The sun was setting over the vast valley, casting its red and orange glow over the landscape. The Zoid battle had been lasting for hours on end, and the Liger Zero and the Shadow Fox were all that was left of the Blitz team. The Nezumi team had been much stronger than anticipated by everyone.  
  
"Bit, how much ammo do you have left?" Ballad's vid screen showed the blond haired boy strapped into his Panzer Liger. He looked exhausted.  
  
"Hardly any. And Liger is running low on energy. This armor is way to heavy for him right now." Came Bit's tired response. Usually the optimistic one of the team, Bit was even ready to except defeat.  
  
Ballad gritted his teeth. Fox had only three shots, at most, left. "Don't take that armor off, Bit! That's your only protection against the Nezumi's Zoids."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Come on Liger! Let's get this battle over with." The massive green armored Liger stepped out of the protective shadow of the valley's wall.  
  
That was a futile mistake. The cloaked Hell Cats pounced immediately, ripping the Panzer armor clean off.  
  
Ballad lunged his Fox forward to aim at the closest Zoid. "Bit! Get out of here. You're unprotected."  
  
The vid screen only displayed static.  
  
"Bit? Bit!"  
  
Back at the base . . .  
  
"Doc! The Liger Panzer's system froze, and I can't get any response out of Bit!" Jiemi was typing furiously trying to make some connection to the fallen Zoid.  
  
Doc Toros slumped over his command panel. "We're doomed. Ballad and the Shadow Fox are our only hope left."  
  
Jiemi sweat-dropped, "Well . . . Doc?"  
  
Toros looked up to the large screen displaying the fight to see the Shadow Fox being pummeled in its left side by artillery. "Owww . . . ." He slumped back down.  
  
A very disgruntled Rinon entered the Command Room "Grrr! Those Nezumi! How dare they play dirty tricks like that!"  
  
Jiemi turned to look at her confused. "'Dirty tricks'? All I saw them do is attack while cloaked. You only stood there, and . . . "  
  
Rinon growled loudly. "I'm not talking about that!" She crossed her arms. "I'm saying they used their name to trick us into fighting them!"  
  
Dr Toros blinked."Name?"  
  
"Yeah, 'nezumi' means 'mouse'?" She looked around at the sweat- dropping faces. "Ow! Never mind!" Fuming she walked up behind Jiemi to watch the battle. "Hey where is Bit? He is awfully quiet that we lost."  
  
"Yeah, you're right! I lost contact with him a little while ago. Maybe his audio system got damaged." Jiemi went back to typing.  
  
Rinon watched the screen worriedly until something caught her eye that made her take a sharp breath. "Oh no."  
  
Back on the field . . .  
  
"The battle is over, I repeat the battle is over. The winner is . . . the Nezumi Team!" The Judge raised the respective arm signaling the end.  
  
Ballad swore, he had underestimated the enemy and that had caused the defeat. He looked around remembering Bit had been knocked out. That, and he realized it was too quiet over the com. Usually Bit would be demanding the judge to reconsider, or claiming he would win the next time. But . . . Ballad became worried and searched for the Liger. What he saw made something inside of him freeze. "Oh, god . . . Bit!" He opened the Fox's cockpit as quickly as he could manage and ran towards the remains of the once mighty Zoid.  
  
The Hell Cats not only attacked, they slaughtered mercilessly. The Liger Zero had been reduced to scrap in a matter of minutes. Parts lay littered on the ground as a steady fire burned around the Zero. Broken wires sparked in the enormous mangled side.  
  
Ballad reached the mess out of breath. He looked at the scene in horror, trying to discern where the cockpit should be. The heat of the flames was almost unbearable, but Ballad tried to ignore this, it was more important to find Bit, hopefully alive.  
  
The brunet boy started to climb the gnarled steal searching frantically for any signs of a body.  
  
Rinon screamed, "What the hell does Ballad think he is doing? Doesn't he know there is still ammunition on Liger?"  
  
"If that fire reaches it . . . then." Jiemi's eyes grew wide. If the fire did reach the ammo Ballad could be . . . "Ballad." He whispered to himself.  
  
Dr Toros finally snapped out of his coma from the loss and realized the severity of the situation. "Why are we just standing here? We have got to go help them. Jiemi get this thing moving!"  
  
"Right!" Jiemi needed the order. He was too shocked at what was happening to think for himself. Ballad and Bit . . . when did Zoid battles become seemingly evil? Jiemi had always loved Zoids and entertained the idea of fun, and happiness of being a warrior. Now a dark shadow had been cast on the concept. Zoids were now threatening to take away two people he cared about.  
  
Dr Toros broke into his thoughts just then. "Rinon, get the emergency equipment ready. Jiemi? Watch the fire. If it gets too close to the weapons tell us."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Ballad had discovered something resembling the orange shield where the cockpit was.  
  
"Bit! Bit can you hear me? Bit!?" he hit the orange material several times, no response. He looked around frantically. The fire was building and starting to close in around him. He knew if he couldn't get Bit out of there soon, he would be trapped as well.  
  
Jiemi's eyes widened. "Doc! The fire is heating up! A wind from the north is fanning the flames, and they are headed straight for the ammunition!"  
  
Too many things were going wrong. The emergency equipment was stored away and Rinon was having a time getting to it. The hover cargo only moved so fast, and now the flames were building right around Ballad and Bit!  
  
"Don't worry Jiemi, will get there in time." Toros had a small smile on his face. Somehow Jiemi didn't think Toros was really trying to reassure him. Just by looking at the good doctor one could see that worry was getting to him and he was trying to reassure himself more than anybody.  
  
After much hunting Ballad finally found a place where the shield was cracked and he could pry it open. Ballad stuck his head inside. Bit lay unconscious and bleeding from his forehead. A little trickle of blood also ran from his mouth.  
  
Ballad took a deep breath. He couldn't tell if the boy was still alive or not. Pulling away enough of the remnants of cockpit, Ballad had made a decent hole large enough for him to get through.  
  
"Bit? Can you hear me?" Ballad placed a gentle hand on the boy's neck to check for a heartbeat. The boy made a small whimper at the touch. "Bit! You're alive!" Ballad slowly worked the safety bars, probably the thing that saved Bit's life, off and slowly pulled the blonde haired boy out. Thankful to be holding him, Ballad gently wiped some of the blood away.  
  
"Hang on, Bit." He added 'please' silently to himself.  
  
The wind picked up a little causing the crackle of the flames to increase till it roared ferociously. Ballad surveyed the area around them, trapped. Everywhere there were flames. The heat was unbearable. Ballad had noticed that some of the plastic parts starting to melt. Then he saw an opening where the wind was keeping the fire back. He started to head towards it as quickly as possible without hurting Bit even more.  
  
"Temperature is increasing in the ammunition cargo hold! It's going to blow any second. Doc what are we going to do?" Jiemi turned to Toros pleadingly.  
  
"Rinon! Where are you?" Toros shouted into the com connected to the Gun Sniper.  
  
"I'm almost there, dad! I can see the wreckage in my monitor." Came the girl's voice.  
  
"Well hurry up that place is a ticking time bomb, and Bit and Ballad are still . . ."  
  
Ballad had almost made it out of the flames when the explosion ripped through the air sending both boys a good distance away from the wreckage. When they hit the ground they rolled a couple feet before coming to a complete stop.  
  
Ballad picked his head up slowly and pain shot through his body culminating back up in his head. His vision was unfocused for a minute then slowly he came out of the initial shock of the concussion. Bit lay still in front of him. Ballad mentally kicked himself. How stupid could he have been? A fire around a Zoid that had live artillery . . .he got to his hands and knees. The world wanted to turn upside down on him. He reached Bit and checked for a pulse again . . .the heartbeat was slow but it was there at least.  
  
The ground shook violently and Ballad wondered if it was the pain in his head causing it to do that or the Zoid that was approaching . . .wait. Zoid? He looked up thankful to see the Gun Sniper charging its way towards them.  
  
Another explosion and the world went dark for Ballad.  
  
The fluorescent lights assaulted Ballad's eyes as he slowly awoke in the clinic back at the Blitz team's base.  
  
"Ballad!?"  
  
Someone was talking . . . "Ugh , Jiemi? What happened . . ."  
  
The brown haired boy blinked. "You don't remember?"  
  
The sound of panic caught Ballad's attention. What had happened . . .the memory hit him hard as everything came back to him at once. "Bit." Ballad tried to sit up but the agonizing pressure and pain pushed him back down.  
  
"Easy, Ballad! Doc says you need to stay down for a while."  
  
"But, Bit is he . . . is he ok?"  
  
Jiemi was silent for a moment.  
  
"Jiemi?"  
  
"He has to rest too. He was hurt pretty badly, but he'll be all right."  
  
Ballad took a deep breath in relief. "Thank god. I thought I was too late, then the explosion came."  
  
Jiemi felt tears forming in his eyes and quickly forced them down. Ballad almost died himself in that explosion. Jiemi suddenly felt like he couldn't stay there anymore. He didn't want to start crying in front of Ballad. "Well, I'm glad you're awake, and I know the other's want to know how you're doing so I'll go now."  
  
"Jiemi?" Ballad caught something in the boy's voice.  
  
"Get some rest and you'll be back in Fox in no time." Jiemi quickly got up and hurriedly went to the door.  
  
"Jiemi!" Ballad called only to get the door closing as he exited.  
  
The brown haired boy stopped before the door was fully closed and looked at the face of the injured Ballad. "I'm glad you're alive, Ballad." He whispered, making sure the boy named wouldn't hear him. I love you, played in his head but he couldn't find himself to say out loud. He pulled the door closed and went to tell the others of Ballads recovery. 


	2. Mystery Shadows

centerI don't own Zoids, or the wonderful couple at the end. ^^ Or anything related for that matter.  
  
I know at the end they are a lil' OOC but it has to happen! I mean if we let their characters stay the same then their relationship would go nowhere!  
  
Have fun and please R/R!! Thankies!/center  
  
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Chapter 2: Mystery Shadows  
  
  
  
"The Liger Zero is destroyed?" An ominous voice crept from the shadows.  
  
"Yes, sir. The mission went as planned." A young woman stood in front of a large oak desk. Her hands at her side she stared at the back of the chair her boss occupied.  
  
"Good, good. Then you will have your payment when you finish one more task for me."  
  
The girl's eyes widened. "The agreement was for the Chu team to destroy the Liger! My team has done that. I want my payment."  
  
A silence fell in the room. Then, slowly the chair turned around. An older man with a piercing gaze was revealed. "Katana. You signed the contract didn't you?"  
  
She blinked. "Y-yes, sir."  
  
"The contract," he continued "stated that you would be payed when the Liger Zero was *completely* destroyed." The man's fingers were interlocked in front of his face.  
  
"It is! I checked myself. The Zoid is a pile of smoldering ruins." She tried to defend.  
  
He narrowed his eyes and began in a low voice. "But, the boy survived."  
  
Katana looked confused. Why would it matter if the pilot of the machine survived? It was the Zoid that was the threat to the organization . . . wasn't it?  
  
The man watched her closely, and as if reading her mind he began to speak. "The Zoid you battled with was an Ultimate-X."  
  
The girl caught her breath.  
  
"This special type of Zoid creates a bond with its pilot, so as to work more efficiently. The Liger's pilot, Bit Cloud, had a strong bond and knew that. He worked as one with the Zoid." He leaned back in his black leather chair. "So you see, even though the Ultimate-X is destroyed, it still lives on in the pilot."  
  
Katana had put things together by now. "You want us to kill Bit?"  
  
A smile crept across the evil man's face. "Now you've gotten it. I hired your team because your reputation proceeds you. Every battle you face the opposing team loses a Zoid. Now, I want the Blade Assassins to finish the job they started."  
  
"We get rid of Zoids, not humans."  
  
The man's smile disappeared. "Dear, dear . . . I thought you understood. That's what you are doing my dear Katana. This Zoid just has two parts, the machine . . . and the human."  
  
Katana looked away as she grit her teeth. "It will be done." She immediately turned on heel and left the dark office.  
  
Another smile appeared on the man's face. "The Blitz team will cause no more problems for Back Draft." His voice reached to the shadows.  
  
"I still don't think it is necessary to kill him." The shadows responded.  
  
"Dr. Layon, Dr. Layon. It is *quite* necessary for the boy to die."  
  
"But he has no Zoid to pilot! The Liger can't be rebuilt and . . ."  
  
"And what? Bit won't have the will to fight anymore?" He chuckled lowly. "Hardly. That boy has a fire inside of him that is inextinguishable. He would find another Zoid immediately and start to battle again."  
  
Layon looked away. "You said it was the Liger that . . ."  
  
"That bonded with Bit. Yes, yes. Wonderful story, no?"  
  
"But then, you didn't care about the Zoid?"  
  
"Not at all, Mr. Layon. You should well know it is the pilot that makes the Zoid. Bit is a threat to the Back Draft group, so his flame will be extinguished by our hands."  
  
Layon remained silent. He knew all about the pilot making the Zoid. His own creation, the Shadow Fox, was taken by one of the Blitz's very own. Layon understood the direction the organization was going. Destroy the leader and the followers would be powerless.  
  
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Bit came walking groggily into the lounge area of the hover cargo. His head had an incessant ache since he had woken up after the battle. Bit checked the room instinctively for Rinon. He never knew what that girl would be blaming on him next even if he had been injured. He spotted Ballad sitting alone on the couch sipping his tea as usual. A smile crept on Bit's face when he remembered waking up to Ballad's worried begging to open his eyes. Ballad must have stayed with him that whole week, watching over him.  
  
Ballad looked up, alert to the noise coming from the doorway. "Hey, Bit. How-ya feeling?"  
  
The boy responded with a yawn and a scratch behind his head. "My head still hurts, but other than that good, I guess."  
  
Ballad watched Bit sit down opposite him. Something had been different with that boy since the Liger was totaled that unnerved Ballad. Bit seemed to be not as cheerful as he once was, before that battle. "How are you *feeling,* Bit. I mean, what happened was pretty tough . . . for anyone."  
  
A shadow seemed to cover Bit's face. How could Ballad understand what he was feeling? Ballad didn't operate an Ultimate X, he didn't know about the connection he had shared with the Liger. Tears came to Bit's eyes. The Liger had been killed, murdered, in the mind of Bit. The part that was Liger, the always constant reassurance they'll be ok, the warm mind thoughts that constantly streamed through Bit's own mind were all gone. Now there was a black void, a whole seemingly in Bit's soul. A warm touch snapped Bit back into reality. He looked up into worried eyes of the one who had been there for him, with eyes that always held warmth.  
  
"Ballad . . ."  
  
Gentle hands wiped the tears that had won against Bit's struggle to hold them back. "It's ok . . .it's ok, Bit." Ballad held the boy's hands tightly in his. "I know you miss Liger. He was more than just a Zoid." That sounded brilliant. Ballad reprimanded himself.  
  
"S-sometimes . . ."  
  
Was Bit laughing!? Ballad looked up from the whole he had been staring into the blonde's hands. He was! Bit was smiling and everything. "What's so funny, Bit?" Ballad could feel anger creeping up on him. He was actually showing care for Bit and if Bit was going to laugh at him . . .  
  
"I used to pretend . . . that Liger wasn't a Zoid but a real lion." Bit looked Ballad. "And when we were in a battle, Liger and I were equals. Both fighting along side each other for the same goal."  
  
A tiny wet feeling fell on Ballad's hand followed by another soon after. Tears were silently sliding down the boy's cheeks as his shoulders started to shake. Something clinched around Ballad's heart and he quickly moved to hold the fallen warrior closer.  
  
Bit cried into the blue of Ballad's jacket.  
  
The brunet couldn't take it anymore. He knew it was selfish of him but he had to stop the boy crying. Ballad cupped the boy's chin, turning his face towards his own. Ballad gave a soft smile and leaned in. "There's something I need to tell you." He whispered before finally closing the distance.  
  
Their lips met. Bit's eyes were wide with shock but soon relaxed when a reassuring hand was placed gently on his cheek. What was happening? Ballad was actually kissing him . . . him!? Bit's mind raced with all the new sensations of Ballad's touch, no longer remembering what his tears were for. He could feel Ballad's hand slide from his cheek down his neck barely brushing Bit's skin.  
  
Ballad broke the kiss and stared into the blonde's eyes. "That's what I have to tell you." He brought his hand back up and caressed Bit's cheek with the backside of his fingers. "The battle . . . when you didn't respond over the vid-screen. Bit . . ." Ballad leaned in again, kissing Bit more firmly. Ballad pulled the boy close, reveling in the fact his kitten wasn't struggling to get away. "I don't want to lose you. Digging through the remains of Liger, praying for any miracle that you were still alive . . . Bit, I love you."  
  
The emerald eyes of Bit widened slightly. Love? Someone was telling him they loved him? "Ballad . . . I-" He looked away, suddenly tears had started to threaten to overtake his sight again. Ballad was there holding him, kissing him, telling him that he loved him. He, Bit, had caused that beautiful warrior pain. He looked back up into those patient blue eyes of the one that cared so much for him. "I . . . Ballad. I love you too." Bit returned the kiss with full emotion. Secretly he had always wanted this; to wrap his arms around Ballad and have Ballad do the same. Now it was happening and Bit could feel that dark whole starting to be filled.  
  
The suddenness of Bit flinging himself on Ballad knocked the older boy back. He caught himself and smiled through the kiss, wrapping his arms around Bit's waist. Just the feel of Bit's touch excited him to new levels. The kiss became stronger, and more passionate as the moment progressed. Ballad felt the slight parting of Bit's mouth and slid his tongue across the boy's bottom lip, asking for entrance. Ballad made a little sigh as his tongue found its way farther into the Bit's mouth when he had accepted . Ballad's thought's were becoming jumbled has he continued, determined to make the moment last as long as possible. His tongue explored every part of Bit's mouth, committing to memory all the spots that hit Bit right. Bit moaned slightly through the deep kiss, with Ballad seemingly answering with him. They continued on, nipping at each other's lips, caressing each other's faces, running their hands through the other's hair until Ballad pulled the blonde haired boy to his chest and held him there, resting his own head on Bit's soft hair.  
  
"I'll find out who did it, Bit." He slid a hand through the mentioned boy's hair. "They'll pay for hurting you."  
  
Bit's eyes narrowed. They hadn't only hurt him, they had also killed Liger. Bit no longer felt the Zoid's presence, the feeling he had grown so accustomed to. They'll pay alright. He would have something to say as well. The Chu team . . . they had murdered a part of him, now an empty feeling was where Liger use to be.  
  
Ballad hadn't noticed Bit had been crying until the boy had looked up at him. He gently brushed away the tears and offered a warm smile. He had caught his kitten, and now he was going to protect him. 


End file.
